Pierre Garçon will wear special shoes to protect his foot

Posted by Josh Alper on June 6, 2013, 10:47 AM EDT

AP

Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garçon isn’t all that worried about his recovery from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.

During an appearance on the NFL Network Thursday, Garçon said that his shoulder is healthy enough for him to play in a game but that he’s going to continue sitting out of OTAs as precaution against any setback before training camp gets underway. Garçon sent a similar message late last month while also admitting that he isn’t totally without injury concerns.

Garçon struggled with a torn ligament on the bottom of his foot last season, opting to forego surgery in favor of rest since doctors couldn’t promise that surgery would repair the problem once and for all. Garçon said Thursday that the foot is improving and that he’s getting some help from apparel company Russell Athletic in hopes of controlling the injury once he does get back on the field.

“It’s coming along, I’m getting some special shoes made by Russell so they’re helping me out with that,” Garçon said. “And continue to go along with the process of rehabbing, but it’s an everyday ongoing process. I’ve been learning a lot about my foot and how I run and things like that with all these injuries, but it’s getting better.”

The use of specially designed shoe suggests that Garçon expects to be managing the foot injury all season, something he did well enough during the seven-game winning streak that closed the Redskins season and coincided with Garçon’s return to the lineup. He wound up with 40 catches and 530 yards over the final eight games (including the playoffs), production that would look pretty good if extrapolated over the entire season and production the Redskins surely hope represents a jumping off point for an even bigger 2013 campaign.

I love this guy, but I have to say this news doesn’t bode well. I REALLY wish he had opted for surgery. We are going to need some of the “mediocres” to rise up this year. Will the real Josh Morgan, Aldrick Robinson or Leonard Hankerson please stand up?!